A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to measuring forces on a product, and more particularly to using data measurement devices in a product to determine the types and magnitudes of forces children can exert on the product.
B. Description of the Related Art
A primary concern among manufacturers of products for children is the safety of the children using their products. However, the manufacturers may not always have relevant safety information or the tools to obtain this information regarding a particular product. As a result of not having this information, manufacturers might not make design choices regarding the structure and materials for a product that could most effectively reduce the potential safety hazards of the product.
Another concern for manufacturers of products for children is the strength of a product and its ability to withstand forces applied to it. Manufacturers generally have tools available to them to test different types and magnitudes of forces that can be applied to a product. Using these tools, the manufacturers can determine the tolerances of the product and design or redesign accordingly. The manufacturers, however, may not always anticipate the type of force or how a force will be applied to a product during actual use. Moreover, they may not be able to anticipate the magnitude of forces that a child will be able to apply. Consequently, although the manufacturers may be able to obtain relevant tolerance information for a product, they will be uncertain whether the tolerance is sufficient to protect the product from breaking. As a result, the product may retain potential safety hazards that could have been eliminated if the manufacturer had more accurate information to develop the product.